Couture's 30th goal helps Sharks tighten grip

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A week earlier, it looked as if Logan Couture's brilliant rookie season might be over when he was helped off the ice after an ugly crash into the HP Pavilion boards.

But Saturday night Couture was back in eye-catching form, scoring a pair of goals to give him 30 on the season and lead the Sharks to a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in a pivotal Pacific Division showdown.

"It's been a crazy week," Couture said. "When that happened, I didn't know if I would be playing right now. But thankfully I still I am."

Couture twice beat Coyotes standout goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who had an uncharacteristically poor night, and missed opportunities to tack on a couple more. Linemate Ryane Clowe added a goal, and Joe Pavelski continued his hot streak with San Jose's other score.

The workmanlike victory allowed the Sharks to maintain their grip on both the Pacific lead and third place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference standings.

It was a team effort with goaltender Antti Niemi rallying from a slow start with 26 saves and the Sharks (44-23-9) getting points from all four attacking lines.

But this was Couture's night.

"Logan has been a real catalyst for us all season, and for him to get to 30 is a hell of a reward," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.

It's one that didn't seem possible seven days earlier when his right knee buckled as he awkwardly slammed into the boards against St. Louis. Couture had to lean on Clowe and Ben Eager just to get off the ice.

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McLellan, watching on television back in Saskatchewan where he was attending a family funeral, felt his stomach sink.

"I didn't phone just one person, but probably everyone in the organization to get their opinion," McLellan said. "But by the time he left the rink, I was feeling better about it."

Couture, who turns 22 Monday, didn't miss a game. Now he is closing in on the New York Islanders' Michael Grabner (31) for the most goals among rookies.

"That's what happens when you're young, eh?" said Clowe, who also had two assists. "You recover quick."

The financially troubled Coyotes (41-25-11) are operated by the NHL, which is trying to sell the team to an owner who will keep them in Arizona. But the Sharks act like they already own these guys.

This was San Jose's eighth consecutive victory over Phoenix. Yet with two games remaining against the Coyotes -- back-to-backs to end the regular season -- the Sharks were quick to quell the notion that they have Phoenix's number.

"I don't think anybody in the locker room knows that," said Pavelski, who increased his scoring streak to seven games. "But we've got a couple more games against these guys, so it's definitely good to create some confidence against them."

The Sharks took advantage of Phoenix team that was missing three of its top centers. Bryzgalov didn't help matters by giving up one juicy rebound after another.

"Bryzgalov wasn't really seeing the puck well," Couture said. "He doesn't have many nights like this. So to get him on one of those, we fired a lot of pucks at him."

Couture drew first blood with a nifty wrap-around off a rebound from a Clowe shot at the 5:06 mark of the first period.

The Coyotes' Mikkel Boedker tied it about a minute later. But it was all Sharks after that.

Pavelski broke the deadlock early in the second period with a backhander that came after a Joe Thornton shot bounced off Bryzgalov and then the post. Clowe made it 3-1 with his 24th goal later in the period.

Then Couture finished what he started with 45-foot rocket that seemed to handcuff Bryzgalov.

"Getting 30 goals is something that I never thought was possible," Couture said. "It's been such a great year."

Clowe got into a late-game scrap with Paul Bissonnette after the Coyotes tough-guy engaged Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic in a shoving match.

The fight gave Clowe his second Gordie Howe hat trick -- a goal, an assist and a fight -- and the 11th in Sharks franchise history.